Bum Odds
by DeathOnPaws
Summary: A Toontown fanfiction about the relationship between Armando and Andross over the years.  2002 - 2006 *T for language, M for Chapter 7.*
1. It's Not Luck

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter One: It's Not Luck**

January 13th, 2002

Armando reached for the broken doorknob, but instead of turning it, he gave the door a good shove and the door flew open. Snow flakes followed him in, falling on the floor, and quickly dissipated. The rundown and abandoned log house they used as a poker meeting... well, _gambling_ area. It was snowing and chilly outside; Armando wanted nothing more than to get inside for a few hands; He could use the jellybeans. The blue dog slipped all the way inside, feeling his pelt warm up immediately.

He looked around at all the familiar faces he had met recently. Out of instinct, he started listing them off in his head. _The Guild v2 members and leaders were already here trying to win. Sandy. Little Fancy. Zany. Mischief Spirit. Lemonmouth. Poodlepounce. My god, there's so many of them. They must be in desperate need of jellybeans, he smirked to himself. _Moving onto the next seats, he saw members of the guild he called home. Armando belonged to a large group named Cold Callers Guild (CCG for short.) CCG lived very close to where poker was played, and usually hosted many of the games.

Yet again, the names started firing off in his head, _Smirky. Chester. AJ. Bonnie. Lily Mizzenpop _He stopped upon noticing someone was in _his _chair. Marching over to the table, defiantly, he spat, "Who the hell are you?" At the duck sitting in his spot.

"Ah, you must be Armando." The royal blue duck responded, sounding like he didn't give a shit. He didn't even look up. "I'm not pleased to meet you."

Armando glared at him, but when he received no reaction, took a chair next to Little Rosie, one of the Toon Union members. "Hey, kid, I was talkin' to you. What's your name?" He attempted again, with a little more force.

The blue duck continued to play poker with the CCG members, not bothering to say a word. His dark amber eyes didn't give anything away; Armando couldn't even tell if he was listening.

"Did you hear me?" He kicked the duck under the table, but still, no reaction.

Finally, the mysterious stranger looked up from his game, appearing to be still uninterested, "You could say that."

"What the hell? What kind of an answer is that, bastard?" Armando cursed.

The duck still didn't look faltered. "The only one you're going to get, bitch." He laid a card down, won the game, and began collecting the pot. Looked up at Armando for another second, raised an eyebrow, and continued scraping the money from the table.

"That's Andross, he's from The Guild v2" AJ explained, motioning to the annoying royal blue duck, "And you shouldn't be cursin' at an elder. Or – at least someone older than _you_."

Armando gave up. He couldn't disagree with AJ; He was the leader of CCG, and therefore had control over Armando's actions... Plus, he had the power to ban whoever disobeyed him. _And right now, I can't afford to be banned. _

-x-x-x-x-

The night dragged on forever. Armando was dealt into a few hands with Toon Union, a couple with The Guild v2, but refused to play with CCG. _After all, isn't it better to avoid him? He's a dumbass with an ego. I have no business letting his filthy paws all over my cards.. _Andross had won six consecutive times and was still on a roll.

"Are you always this lucky?" He snickered in Andross' direction.

AJ swung his head around from his game, annoyance clear in his light, disturbed eyes. "Didn't I tell you to watch your mouth? But for the record, it's not luck."

This time it was Andross' turn to snicker.

-x-x-x-x-

So far Armando had won almost 150 jellybeans.. Not too bad for only four rounds. He couldn't help glancing over to the table next to him, the one with CCG scattered 'round, playing poker. It looked like Andross, the cocky duck, was the winner of the night. Examining his jellybeans, Armando noticed the jar was almost overflowing. AJ was right, this couldn't just be luck.

Armando looked at his hand. _Well this sucks. _Trying to hide the disappointment from his tone, he said, "I'm going to fold." He laid down his cards and started watching CCG's poker game... That was at least more lively than playing with Toon Union. Armando's pale blue eyes continued to stare directly at Andross' hand of cards that were being dealt, trying to burn through them. _If only I could sneak a peek into his paws.. I need to find out if that bastard's cheating. _Before he had time to move, Little Fancy, who was at CCG's table started up a conversation.

"How are things here in CCG territory? You guys sure don't have a long walk." Armando couldn't tell if Little Fancy Pedalwhip was being serious or just mocking the fact that he arrived about two hours late.

"Everything's fine. What business is it of your's?" He spat back, trying to make her shut up.

Little Fancy Pedalwhip took the hint and backed off. She stood up and walked quickly back to The Guild v2's poker table.

Going back to making mends with Andross; In other words, attempting to stay on AJ's good side, he said, "You're not as stupid as you look.", After watching him win for the ninth time in row. Offering a crooked smile, he hoped Andross would respond, instead of ignoring each comment.

Andross leaned back in the old, ratty-looking chair, "That's funny, because you are."

Armando buried his head in his arms. _Time to prepare for a long night._

**A/N: Sooo.. this chapter is quite a bit shorter than I imagined it. In order to understand this story properly, you'll have to know how Toontown Guilds work.. If you have any questions let me know – Reviews are love :)! This story will probably be longer than my first... You're definitely welcome to read both.**


	2. Forgot Something?

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Two: Forgot Something?**

January 14th, 2002

Armando woke suddenly. _I must have fallen asleep at the poker table. _Groaning, he blinked and adjusted to the dim-lit room. Toons from The Guild v2 were all packing up their winnings and hitting the road. They had the longest way home.. _Only god knows why they even come out here for just a few card games._ Most of them were stumbling, a few walked with little staggering, and the others busied themselves with saying final goodbyes for the night. Armando peeled a card off his left paw and immediately recognized whose deck it belonged to. Andross'. Andross, and other "big-time" card players always swore to have lucky decks – one that would win any game for its owner. Unfortunately for Andross, Armando was now in possession of his. Quickly, he scrambled to gather all the scattered cards and focused on making sure none were missing. He proceeded on stuffing them into his breast pocket, trying to hide the nasty glint reflecting in his pale eyes.

-x-x-x-x-

"See ya," Armando waved sleepily at the departing members of Toon Union. Those who were sober had disappointment smeared across their usually smug faces, something Armando _lived _to see. Normally they boasted mercilessly about how they were the poker "champs" but Andross must have kicked their asses.

AJ was collecting his things and called to the tired toons of CCG, "Time to go. The CCG bunkhouse ain't waitin' fer nobody."

Their leader was already stepping halfway out of the door before the rest of the gang prepared themselves for a damn cold walk to the bunkhouse. They didn't have a choice. It was either go now or sleep outside in the streets that were coated in snow. ...And Armando personally preferred the bunkhouse.

CCG had to prepare for another chaotic day. Member count was at an all time high, and that's the way AJ liked it. All the guilds in Toontown had claimed their territory. CCG had the VP and CEO on their land, as Toon Union had CJ and finally the GV2 had CFO. They were all battled daily – it was the toons' duties. Disney was paying each of them 25 jellybeans a day for defeating all cog bosses. With every day came a new order, and they had to be ready for anything. Too bad 25 jellybeans a day wasn't enough to get by ...but that's where the gambling came in. Toons would bet whatever they had on hand; Which included jellybeans and gags for the most part. _What would happen if fighting broke out between the guilds? And the banned us from using their land? AJ is a hell of a leader if he can maintain peace.._

"My paws are freezing," Lily Mizzenpop complained as she came up from behind Armando. Lily was small, yellow and had magnificent rose eyes.

Armando hardened his gaze at the icy ground of the street and bit back a lippy reply. _If only your mouth could do the same._

He kept trudging along, in a sour mood because of the frosty winter night. Soon enough, a large building loomed in front of the group. A sign read "CCG Lodging House" in silver letters greeted all who were passing by. As each toon entered the brick building, they took the same path as always; Armando replayed the directions in his head. _Up the old stairs.. Hear the creak. Down the hallway. Second door on the right. _One after another, the members piled into the room with bunkbeds scattered about. Armando had a bed in the corner, the only one available. He shared it with Black Parade, a senior member in CCG. She told exotic tales of how the group came to be and how AJ gained his leadership. On the other end of the spectrum, Armando was considered very new to CCG and was continuously learning about how things worked. Armando often thought to himself; _I may be new to daily boss battles but I'm sure as hell not new to playing cards for money._

Gradually making his way to the bunkbed, he saw that Black Parade was already sleeping. The black cat hadn't attended the poker game and was lucky that she didn't. Tonight had been boring and Andross fucked it up, according to Armando. _Please don't wake up, please don't wake up. _He begged silently, opening the nightstand drawer. Removing Andross' lucky deck from his pocket, he shoved them inside and closed the drawer again. Slipping under the covers, he felt warmth beginning to creep into his body once more.

**A/N: I know; Kind of a pointless chapter.. but it gave some important information about how the guilds of Toontown operate. I guess you'll have to deal with it xP. More news – I'll be on vacation soon and won't be able to write, sorry.. So far the plotline is coming along nicely and over the vacation period I'll be busy thinking of ways to make it even better. Keep watching for chapter three :)**


	3. You're Welcome

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Three: You're Welcome**

January 14th, 2002

It seemed like the second Armando had gotten comfy and fallen asleep that the wake up call sounded from AJ's mouth. The leader switched on the lights, blinding all of the sleepy members. _Someday I'm going to be leader of CCG and command everyone around. But best of all, I want my own room. _AJ had his own room, and got as much space as he wanted. Focusing, Armando heard AJ shout, "Everybody up! It's a new day and CCG is never late! We will begin with CFO, then CEO, carry on to CJ and back to VP again. Got it? Now get up!" The sound of AJ's morning call was too much to sleep through. Most of the toons were already on their feet and stripping their pajamas off, replacing them with street or work clothes.

Black Parade slid down from the top bunk and began stretching; something she did every morning. The morning "routine" CCG used often was waking up, getting the day's boss battle order, changing from pajamas to normal clothes, then freshening yourself in the large bathroom downstairs. _Then time to hit the streets. _Armando added to himself. He took a deep breath, then slowly removed himself from the heat of his bunkbed. _Getting dressed today won't be a problem. _Smirking, he knew that last night he never changed into pajamas, therefore making the morning tasks slightly easier. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he opened the nightstand drawer and removed the card deck. Placing the cards carefully into his breast pocket as he did the day before, Armando went downstairs to wash himself and get ready for the day's duties.

-x-x-x-x-

_Hmm, time to get on the road. _The members of CCG were ready to begin the chores; Starting with CFO. As Armando played AJ's commands over in his head, he noticed CFO was top on the list. _GV2 territory. Negatively_, the aqua blue dog emerged from the CCG lodging house. Checking the time to ensure he wasn't late, Armando began to walk in the direction of the CFO. _I hope I run into Andross. _He reminded himself silently of the cards he had stuffed away in the cowboy shirt's pocket.

While on the road to CFO, Armando brainstormed on what to do if he _did _run into Andross after all. The chances were low, but he might as well be prepared. Pulling the deck from its place, he looked around the snowy scene for a place to hide it. _I better find a damn good spot. This deck looks somewhat expensive... _Last night Armando had come to the conclusion that he was going to maybe "taunt" Andross with it. It seemed like a grand idea at the time.

Armando opened the door to his favorite shop to grab a snack or sit and eat - Spaghetti and Goofballs, located on Loopy Lane.

"Anyone in here?" Armando called into the empty store. He was looking for the owner, Chef Knucklehead, but so far he was no where in sight. Chef Knucklehead was one of Armando's closest .._adult_ friends. He often supplied the CCG toons with free or discounted meals.

"Ah, there you are Armando," Chef Knucklehead spoke with a heavy Italian accent, and sometimes it was soothing to listen to.

Armando glanced around before replying, "I have a quick favor for you. Nothing real hard, 'kay?"

Chef Knucklehead looked concerned. "Armando, you know how busy I get-" He stopped in mid sentence upon realizing no one else was in the shop.

"So you'll do it?" He rushed on, trying to hurry so today's boss battles would be on schedule.

"I guess," The yellow bunny looked utterly defeated, "What do you need?"

Slapping the deck of cards into Chef Knucklehead's hand, Armando explained, "Just hold onto these cards until the end of the day." Before letting go, Armando pulled one card from the deck, examined it, then tucked it away. "Tally-ho."

-x-x-x-x-

The day's jobs had gone great. Armando had defeated all cog bosses with _almost_ record time – but there was still one thing he had to do before the day ended. It was still late afternoon and he had the rest of the day to himself, as always. Many toons finished early, in order to go exploring.. Or whatever the hell they did. _Shortest way to TGV's territory.. Hmmm. _Taking off in the general direction, Armando was ready to face whatever faced him. This task must be done, and Chef Knucklehead may not be a happy camper with Armando if he came late or worse - after closing time. He was frightened at just the thought of it. _He'd never do another favor for me.. Not for as long as I live._

It wasn't too much further before Armando was upon the GV2's territory. Shops surrounded Armando, making him feel smaller on the guild's main street. Many of their members just "chilled" in entry ways and odd places, such as in shops, even when they weren't planning to buy anything.

They had an old lodging house; One older than the gambling area. The upstairs was completely caved in due to a nasty storm that swept through a couple months ago. Ever since, they used the basement for living and Sandman's Sandwiches, a store on the mainstreet, to hang around and chat in. Sandy, the shopkeeper let them rearrange tables and was lenient on the whole thing, considering they were no longer able to use the lodging house.

_If I'm going to find Andross, it'll most likely be there. Now... where the hell is it? _Armando didn't come here often, and when he did – it wasn't because he was looking for a toon to bug. It was business only.

Finally, he came to the right place. A big neon sign in front, with letters as big as a wedding cake, read: "Sandman's Sandwiches". Going inside, a little bell sounded above him. _A greeting bell? How lame can they get? _Keeping a straight face, Armando shut the door behind him and gave the place a one-over. _Not bad. It's tidy for a place that rats hang out in. _There, in the corner, at a table sat Andross. He was surrounded completely by friends; Toons that Armando knew.

In his favor, the toons who guarded Andross were into fun and games. _Airheads. _As Armando described them. Andross must have seen Armando, since he started shifting uncomfortably, and his features darkened considerably.

Armando thought he heard a "Hold on" coming from Andross' mouth, but he wasn't sure. Making his way across the floor, he kept focus on one thing. The blue duck.

By the time Armando was in speaking distance, Andross stood up abruptly and demanded, "What do you want?"

"Meet me outside." Armando replied, his tone and eyes not giving away anything, upon seeing that Andross wasn't going to move, he added, "_Now_."

The two boys walked towards the door, each casting glances of hate at each other. Armando nearly chortled when he caught a glimpse of the look on Andross' face. _Just get outside, dammit. _He wanted to scream, but instead took his time, keeping a close watch on Andross to know he was following.

The door slammed behind them, "Make this quick. I was playin' blackjack with the boys." Andross said impatiently.

"I bet it's pretty hard to play cards without a _deck._" Armando sneered, relishing having the upper hand.

"You little -"

Armando cut Andross off, "Oh, so you did want it back? Too bad." A sly grin made it's way onto his face.

"What the fuck did you do with my deck?" Andross spat, making it clear he wasn't going to joke around any longer.

"Threw it in the pond," He replied casually, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, "But I kept one card.. Just for old time's sake, Andross."

"Give me the damn card." Andross commanded him.

Armando raised one brow, "I didn't hear that right. Maybe you forgot who has the card."

Andross gulped, "Give me the card, _please._" His eyes were filled with desperation.

Reaching into his back pocket, Armando pulled out the "last" card, face down. After handing it to Andross, he began to stalk off towards CCG territory.

"You lousy bastard!" Andross shouted.

Armando didn't turn to look at him, this time, he knew he had won. The card he had handed to Andross was the joker.

**A/N: Yay! Armando finally came out on top. :) Any reviews would be wonderful.**


	4. I Ain't Gettin' Paid For This

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Four: I Ain't Gettin' Paid For This**

June 2nd, 2002

Armando was sprawled out on his bed, thinking about _life_. He pondered upon questions such as, "What did I deserve to be here?" "Why does AJ have to be leader?" and finally, "Where the hell were you last night?" Andross had been missing for quite some time now. He hadn't gone to poker games, never stopped to visit CCG members, and Armando hadn't seen him anywhere. It had been a boring 6 months, nothing but chores to do. His jellybean bank was decreasing at a steady pace, with nothing new coming in. The card games had sucked – well, no. _Armando_ had sucked at them. Shuffling Andross' deck of cards for the last two hours had been getting tiresome.

The afternoon sun drifted, giving way to a pleasant and calm evening light. He was, for the most part, alone in the bunkhouse, but could hear a few of the members playing cards downstairs. They had recently set up a roundtable, specifically for that purpose. _Practice games. Games that did nothing for me. _Armando thought bitterly of it, but there was nothing he could complain to AJ about. It wasn't his decision and wasn't by any means worth getting thrown out for.

"Armando," Lily Mizzenpop called sweetly, standing in the doorway, "Are you in here?"

Armando slouched down further into his bed, "What do ya want?" Covering his ears with his pillow, he strained to listen to what the yellow cat might have to say.

"AJ wants you," She explained, "He has a task for you. He wouldn't tell anyone what it was though, so you'll be taking your chances."

"Yeah, yeah.. Where is he, anyway?"

Lily Mizzenpop responded coolly, "In his room."

_I guess she's going to wait until she can be sure I'm leaving. _He sourly thought. "I'm coming," Armando muttered as he slipped on his worn down shoes. Passing Lily on the way out of the bunkroom, he went across the hall into AJ's room.

The noises downstairs were utterly and downright annoying. The toons playing card games had begun to get a little too loud and Armando was tempted to run down the stairs and shout, "Shut the hell up! I'm getting an _order_." He was unusually edgy today; With no reason as to why.

"Come in Armando," AJ told him, noticing that he was standing blankly in the doorway, "I don't bite you know."

His dry humor aggravated Armando further, "What do you need me to do?" _Would you like me to carry in another table for uses that I don't believe in? _AJ was sitting on his favorite blue chair, leaning back and tossing his hooves onto the desk.

AJ looked content and peaceful, "We have a visitor here on CCG territory, mind escorting him home? He's been havin' a little trouble with some of the Union boys and I'm asking you to make sure he gets safety back into GV2 territory."

_Ah yes. Someone making mischief and havoc with Union.. And they had to be from the GV2? Bullshit. What idiot would do that? Now they can never cross into CCG territory without living in fear. Ha... This has to be a joke. _"Yeah sure," Armando replied casually, "Where is she?"

"_He_." AJ corrected, "Downstairs at the game table." He gave Armando a stare that could only mean one thing: _Get the fuck out of my room. _

"I can take a hint," Armando muttered after he had turned his back to AJ. Walking down the beat up and creaky stairs, he took a glance around at the crowd around the card table. _How do I even find this dude?_

The world seemed to be screaming one name, but Armando ignored it as best he could. The one toon who he'd never, ever consider escorting home was straddling a chair in the corner, watching the card game in progress.

_That's it. Fuck the whole 'guess who it is' game. _"Who the _hell _needed an escort home?" Armando shouted above the noise, "Get over here _now _before I go back to bed."

To Armando's dismay, the only one who moved was Andross. Pushing the chair aside, he strode up to Armando, matching his confidence. "That would be me," He smirked.

-x-x-x-x-

_Can't you go any faster? It's a hot day and it's getting dark – I would rather be cleaning the bunkhouse floor than escort you home. _Armando thought bitterly to himself. _It's your fault you made Union mad, now deal with the damn consequences._

Andross shot a side glance at Armando, "It's a long way to go in silence." He stated matter-of-factly.

Armando smirked, "I'm not much of a talker."

"Nor are you much of a card player."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Armando snapped back, defensively. "I can play my cards well."

"Yeah, damn well." Andross looked slightly frazzled, "How many times have you won this month?"

"Five," Armando replied softly. "But that's a long way to come for a card game," He added, letting a smirk of his own replace the neutral expression.

Andross glared. "That's not any of your business,"

Armando went on, "Especially after you got in some _trouble _with Union."

"Oh, tell me something I don't know." Andross hissed back.

"Naw, that would take too long." Armando muttered swiftly.

-x-x-x-x-

"Well, we're past Union territory, this is all the further I had to go." Armando stated, his tone nonchalant. Andross' charisma was certainly nothing to scoff at, but he wasn't ready to walk any more distance than he was ordered to.

Andross looked dismissive, "Whatever AJ told you to do works."

"I ain't gettin' any extra pay for walkin' you home," Armando flared, "And I don't just take any old order from _AJ_." Armando spat out the word 'AJ' as if it was venom.

"He's your leader, isn't he?" Andross muttered.

Armando was poised to respond, "Maybe _he _won't be leader forever."

"Whose gonna stop him then?" Andross laughed.

Before Armando could give a witty comment, Andross was already walking away towards the GV2's main street. _So.. that was it. He's home now. Will someone explain to me why I'm disappointed?_

**A/N: Thanks for bearing with me.. I know it's boring to read at some parts, but the plotline is just starting to pick up, as it mentioned tensions between Union and GV2.. And Armando and Andross? They had a civilized conversation. Congrats to them! :P Reviews are love.**


	5. Not My Problem

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Five: Not My Problem**

August 8th, 2002

Armando miserably continued tossing one of his only coins into the air and caught it while walking down the street. Summer sucked. It was sticky, humid, dry, and most of all – scorching hot outside. The toons of all guilds were having trouble getting from one place to another; It was common to skip duties nowdays. Throw your hat in. Say screw it, and simply not get paid for the day's unfinished work. Everyone pitied Union, who had no lodging house at all. Even though it may be hot and sweaty to bunk with other toons, it's better than finding a place for yourself on the street every night. Union swore it didn't bother them; Armando thought that was bullshit. The Union toons were full of themselves and not to mention hot air. GV2 was doing okay, there hadn't been much word from them. No one had dared to wander too far, in fear they may not make it back with the heat being as awful as it is.

He sucked on his teeth and looked for a place to take shelter from the sun in. A nearby store grabbed his attention. Jogging over to the shade beneath the overhanging roof, Armando thought about the day's horrific events. First, he was late waking up, causing himself to miss breakfast completely. This had only pissed him off, considering breakfast was the _only _free meal given to the working Toontown residents. Then, after getting out the door, Armando, rather darkly, remembered last night. It was a poker game night. To everyone's surprise, GV2 and Union actually showed up. Armando had avoided talking with anyone from the GV2 and settled in for conversations with Union instead. Most of his jellybeans had gone down the drain that night.. Or at least to other toons. Lastly, the day's heat raged on. It was warm when he woke up, all sweaty and gross, and it only has changed for the worse.

A familiar face broke away from the CCG members walking down the street and headed towards where Armando was cooling off in the shade. "Hey, Armando. Decided to skip out on your duties today?"

Armando looked hesitantly at the new arrival. Lily Mizzenpop. _Groan. _"It's too hot to do anything," He muttered in response, not exactly caring if she left or not.

Lily giggled softly, "Got that right."

Armando just stood there staring at her, into her big magenta eyes. _Remind me why I stay with these losers? God. Talk, talk, talk. All I ever asked for was a damn shady spot. _"Ya.. So what're you goin' to do today?" The afternoon seemed to drag on forever. Sun high in the sky, heat burning the toons to crisps. It was pure hell.

"The usual." Lily winked, "Did you have something in mind?" Lily Mizzenpop always hung around in Spaghetti and Goofballs, one of Armando's favorite restaurants. She always seemed to have her friends from CCG around her; _I guess that's just where we hang out. _Armando thought flatly.

He lowered his gaze to meet her eyes once more, "No." Shifting his weight slightly, he added distractedly, "I've got somewhere I need to go."

"Right," Disappointment dripped from that word, and Lily turned away slowly, heading towards Loopy Lane.

_Finally. I certainly wasn't going to wait around all day talking to someone not worth my time by any means. Besides, I really do have something that must get done. _It wasn't exactly a chore, but he Armando made it a point to go bug Andross whenever he got the chance. And why not? On a day like today, maybe traveling isn't a bright idea, but what else are you going to do?

Tightening his L belt, he set off towards where the GV2 would be on a day like today. _Probably Sandman's Sandwiches.. Just where I want to go. Not like I have a choice, though. They're the dumb asses who let the storm basically destroy where they could be hanging out. _Sighing deeply, Armando continued his trek.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Armando's journey was put to a close as he neared Sandy's place. She was the shopkeeper of Sandman's Sandwiches and was quite nice for a woman who worked alone. _It must be a stressful job; I would be freaking out at people if all I did during the day was take orders from them. I ain't their slave._

Peering in the shop window, he noticed almost all GV2 members were huddled around a few tables pushed together. _No game. Just chatting? _It was somewhat stunning to see them making conversation and nothing more.. GV2 was usually rundown on luck and practiced nonstop for upcoming card games. Armando didn't exactly care what they did, but just thought about it being on the odd side. _Maybe it's a good thing that I decided to show up after all and find out what they're up to. No poker? No dominoes? Something's definitely wrong here. _He hoped no one inside the shop would realize there was a blue dog staring into the glass windows. _That would be hard to explain_, Armando thought grimly.

Taking a couple more paces towards the door, he resumed to contemplate about his entrance. _Should it be fashionable? No.. A little more on the arrogant side? No.. Andross would just turn away, then. _Without further ado, Armando settled for "just walking in" and sitting down.

Putting his plan to action, he heard the usual chime of bells above him as he entered Sandman's Sandwiches. _Remember – Casual and cool. Not nervous. _Armando silently prayed no toon in the room could decipher how nervous this was making him. And why it was making him nervous? Armando hadn't the slightest idea. Free – at last – from the heat, he stepped over to their pushed together tables. Grabbing one of the nearby chairs, he slowly sat, while listening intently to the conversation, and ignoring the stares that followed his every movement.

Most of the GV2 was friendly towards Armando. He didn't know why they would have any sudden issues now. All the members inside the store were looking at him, expectantly.

"What; You expect a guy to stand outside in that heat?" Armando snapped, annoyed by their sudden silence.

Little Fancy broke into a chuckle, "Of course not. Any toon is welcome here." She looked thoughtful and carried on her chat with one of the other members, who Armando recognized as Zany.

Their stares were not cold by any means, just confused. _Probably as to why I'd bother wasting my time here. _Armando's thoughts darkened. _Who knows if they even want me here. Little Fancy tends to speak for the whole group. _

"Hey, Armando," A loud voice interrupted his thoughts. _Why is Pepito talking to me? He's usually so quiet._

Armando took the unspoken offer of friendship, "Howdy, Pepito. What's new around here?"

Pepito looked taken back, most likely because Armando rarely carried on a decent conversation with the members of GV2, but they liked him anyway. "Oh, um, nothing. I can't really give that out," He spoke softly.

"Is it confidential or something?" Armando laughed bitterly,

Instead of responding to Armando's rude comment, Pepito went on, "How're things in CCG?" Pepito appeared to be the most bored toon on earth.

"_Things _are going lovely," He snickered, "_We_ don't mind telling others how things are going."

Yet again, Pepito chose to ignore the teasing statement, "How about Union?"

_So that's what this is about. He wants to know about _Union. Armando almost chortled, "They're doing _fantastic_." Armando lied and knew that wasn't completely true, but he wanted to see Pepito's response.

Just as Armando had planned, Pepito's facial expression changed dramatically. All his features darkened, and his eyes became as cold as The Brrrgh for a second, then everything was back to normal. It must have been forced, but he said, "That's great," Without a hint of sarcasm, and a pushed forth smile.

This time it was Armando's turn to ask the questions, he decided arrogantly. "How is Andross? I haven't seen him around, _until now._" Making a gesture to the other the side of the table, near where Andross was sitting. He must not have noticed, because he didn't make any effort to respond. Andross was busying himself with chatting to the other GV2 members. _But worst of all, he looks like he's making an effort to ignore me. _

"Why don't you go ask?" It seemed like the only thing he talked to Armando for was to find out if Union had been down on their luck lately. _How wonderful and considerate of you, Pepito. Fuck you._

Armando glared and let his gaze burn into Pepito's, "I might take you up on that," He shot back.

"If he dislikes you as much as he says he does, I doubt you'd be here right now." Pepito dragged.

Armando retorted, "I think I've been against worse odds, thanks." Pushing back his chair, he stood up and lowered his gaze to where Andross sat.

"Need something?" Andross said shortly, focusing his dark amber eyes onto Armando.

Armando crossed his arms, "Well you're exuberant today." He observed.

"And you're being yourself today." Andross nitpicked, "The worst thing you could be."

"It's a hell of a hot day," Armando began, but was cut short when Andross interrupted.

"Tell me something I don't know, Armando."

Armando glowered, "That's life." He muttered.

"What was that?" Andross said.

"Nothing. Like I was saying, it's a hot day – Want to go somewhere other than_ here_?"

Andross snorted, "With you?"

"_No, _the Muffin Man." Armando's words dripped with bitter sarcasm.

Andross rolled his eyes, "Where do you want to go?"

Armando didn't think he would even get this far before someone noticed their bickering and asked him to leave. _So far, so good. _"I ain't telling you. You gotta go."

Andross stood up. _Well this could be good or a bad sign. _"Waiting on you," Andross said, but it sounded more like a challenge.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"_This_," Andross pointed to the well-kept CCG dock, "Is where you wanted to take me?" He had an expression of pure disgust written all over his face.

Armando laughed, "Ain't ya ever heard of swimming? It's an activity _most_ toons do when it's too damn hot to do anything else."

"I didn't say I had no idea what swimming is," Andross pouted.

"Didn't have to. It was all over your face." Armando smirked, loving the fact he was able to outdo Andross' sharp tongue.

Andross just stood there, arms crossed, and waited. They were standing on the edge of one of CCG's many docks; All of them had beauty and a nice pond to go with it. The water was cool today, and the sun was scorching them.. _So why not? _"Scared of water?" Armando faked sympathy,

Andross rolled his eyes again, "No, I don't have my swimming suit with."

Armando gave him a long stare in return, then sighed, "_Swimming suit?_ You're not serious. Don't you GV2 toons ever go swimming the _normal _way?"

"What 'normal way'?" Andross glared in return to Armando's blank stare.

"Us in CCG and Union don't need a fuckin' _swimsuit_. Quit whining and get in the water; The sun will dry off your clothes quick."

"I'm not whining," Andross complained, "_This is whining_." He added in a shrill and dragged out tone.

Armando facepawed, "Just get in the damn pond." Armando was already lowering himself down into the chilled water, which felt excellent on a day like today. _My idea of swimming was a life saver. _

"That's it? You just get in the water?"

Armando sighed again, "You _are_ as stupid as you look. _Yes_."

Andross looked extremely rigid and nervous, but must have stirred up some courage at that point. He let himself be dragged in by Armando, who was getting impatiently with the whole ordeal.

-x-x-x-x-

**A/N:** I didn't want to end this chapter with any suspense because it's a hot day in the story and the boys are swimming. How could I add suspense? Everything is so peaceful. Anyway, I'm back from my four day vacation, and it was wonderful. The vacation inspired me to write this chapter, as it was nonstop heat for at least 3 of the days I was gone. I promise the fanfic will pick up sooner or later, but I'm trying to set the stage for where they stand in friendship at the time. My apologies though, I know things are slow right now and I'll try to get it picking up. **As for other news, I'm in huge need of a beta reader, preferably someone who has read my stories in the past and would like to help out. My beta reader has recently quit and will not be back in time for the end of this fanfiction. Help wanted, contact me via PM if you're interested. **This is also a little shout out to Luke and Armando, thanks for letting me use your toons for this story. And one more thanks to Armando; You've been an amazing beta reader for Bum Odds and Magicians and Red Candles. Double the love. **Reviews are love; And so would be another beta reader. Again, PM if you're interested! Thanks for reading this long chapter – and this long a/n.**

**Edit: Betareader found. :)**


	6. Gambling and a Crooked Smile

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Six: Gambling and a Crooked Smile**

October 31st, 2002

Happily whistling a tune down the street, Armando rounded the corner to find himself at CCG's lodging house. Recently, he had been spending more and more time with Andross and the GV2. CCG had stooped low on the list of important things in his life. Armando didn't neglect his duties; He still managed to get in at least one VP, one CFO, one CJ, and lastly, one CEO per day. On the other hand, the members of CCG were beginning to question his loyalty to their guild._ For_ _once let me have a little fun, AJ. Not that you'd know what "fun" even means. _AJ had been on his case recently for just about everything. _I guess spending more time over at GV2's land for the last two and a half months automatically makes me the cause of all that goes wrong. _

It was a windy day, and colorful leaves were beginning to fall. It was still light out and Armando planned to be perfectly on time for tonight's gambling games. _I'll show AJ that I can be on time. _He thought gravely. Normally, Armando wouldn't be heading to the CCG lodging house, but instead crashing in the GV2's. He only had to come back this evening to grab a few extra jellybeans, then be well on his way to the broken down shack.

Armando mused about the last months' events. He didn't know much about what happened at home, but he did know more about the GV2's lives. Andross and him had become close throughout the time Armando had been spending over there. They had gone swimming more often during the summer; And Armando had finally got stubborn Andross to swim without his swimming suit. Which surprisingly, he admitted he enjoyed after they had dried off.

He also got to bonding with a couple of the other GV2 members; The ones he would have – on any other occasion – mouthed off to. Little Fancy didn't turn out to be such an annoyance, Zany was loads of fun, Milkyway Black Spirit was full of mischief and pranks, Spotty had been quite a comedian, but, unfortunately, Pepito was still a fuckin' bore.

To his advantage, Armando had learned and picked up on little pieces of information. Ones that could be handy in the near future. GV2 had been fighting with Union for quite a while. Their main dispute cause being GV2 had been accusing Union of stealing their members – which may or may not have been true. Armando couldn't have personally given a fuck; But he _was _still loyal to CCG, and would give them any information they needed to save his ass.

Oddly enough, the highlight of spending time with GV2 members had been doing various activities with Andross. They had begun to do their daily boss battles together, shooting insults and comebacks every given moment. The summer days had gone by quickly; Andross and Armando swam to beat the heat. Lately, they found fun in simply having long chats. _I don't know why I enjoy having him around. He still claims to hate me, and Pepito still thinks if he hated me so much, I wouldn't be welcomed near the GV2. The hell does that mean, anyway? I can handle myself. _Him and Andross had silently came to the conclusion that bickering with each other was a form of having a "decent" conversation.

He was halfway down the creaky old stairs when he heard AJ call from his room, "Armando, come in here." Stuffing his extra jellybeans further down into his pocket, he began back up the stairs. _What does he want _now_? AJ's crankier than ever. _Opening the door a crack, Armando stepped in smoothly.

Before he had a chance to speak, AJ demanded, "Where the hell have you been, Armando? You haven't been sleeping here or even _seen _around here."

"I've been around," Armando narrowed his eyes at AJ, trying to detect whether or not that answer would fly with him.

AJ tapped his hoof on his makeshift desk, "Around, huh? I sure hope you plan to attend tonight's card games. You ought to be running out of jellybeans."

Armando smirked, "I've been doing my job. _Gettin' paid for it too._" He added daringly, and took a step towards AJ.

AJ wrinkled his snout slightly, but apparently let it go whatever had him taken back.

"Anything else?" Armando asked, trying his best to look bored, in hopes to get out of here.

CCG's leader shook his head, "No, nothing." AJ raised his chin, so he was eye-to-eye with Armando. _It's probably just me.. But why do I see admiration? _

Armando smiled smugly to himself, knowing he had dodged a bullet. A bullet that could have gotten him banned for good.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Armando inhaled the smell of cigar smoke. _Yup, it's definitely gambling night. _The little shed was bustling with laughter, voices, the sound of cards being shuffled and dice being rolled. Armando slipped off his coat and threw it to the floor. He spotted his usual chair, and walked over to it.

Andross was sitting in the chair next to his, where Little Rosie would've normally sat. _Poor Rosie.. _Armando sadly recalled the way Union had thrown her out. Nobody knew where Little Rosie resided at this point.

Andross turned to face Armando, "You smell good tonight. What the hell is that?"

Armando laughed, "It's called soap. I'm guessing they don't have that where you come from."

"No need to be mean," Andross playfully poked Armando in the side. "Say, you wanna join a card game or somethin'?"

Armando blinked, "Yeah, sure. Who ya wanna play with tonight?"

"Anyone but Union, please." Andross requested in a tone Armando had never heard come from him before.

"CCG then," Armando decided.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was getting late; The moonlight started to creep in the windows of the shed. Andross and Armando had just finished their 9th round of Deuces Wild with CCG. For some unknown reason, Andross seemed highly on edge and at a tension. _The fuck is wrong with that boy? I accidentally bump him and he'll jump a foot. That's it. I'm gonna find out what's bothering him._

"Andross," Armando murmured quietly, "Can we go outside for a while?"

Surprise and confusion was clear in Andross' eyes, he finally responded quietly, "Yeah."

Both boys got up and headed towards the door, passing questioning and quizzical glances on their way out. Armando made a rude hand gesture at one of the Union members who snickered in his direction.

Once outside, Andross turned to Armando, "What did you want?"

"I wanted to talk about why you're so jumpy tonight," Armando stated, making it clear that he wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.

Andross gave him a guilty stare, "What business of it is yours?"

Armando just snorted and looked away. _Everything of yours is my business. _

"All right," Andross sighed, "I was there when they kicked Little Rosie out and -" The blue duck looked choked up. "And.."

Armando had never seen Andross act this way before, "Go on," He urged gently, not knowing how to respond to Andross' sudden change in behavior.

"They hurt her, badly." Andross looked down, "I think she's dead. The image... It's been haunting me." His muscles seemed to relax slightly, as Armando drew nearer.

The October wind was cool against them and made Armando shiver. "I see," He finally said, "You couldn't do anything to help her, though.. But since when do you care about Union?"

Andross shrugged, "Little Rosie wasn't awful."

"Yeah," Armando agreed quietly, pushing closer to Andross for warmth and to comfort him. To Armando's shock, he felt Andross press back willingly, and his mind went peaceful.

"Armando," Andross began, "I think you're wonderful." Andross looked uncomfortable and uncertain, like he wasn't sure if he should go on.

Armando smirked, not exactly arrogantly, but somewhere in between. _Am I supposed to respond to that?_

"And I think you're amazing." Andross went on, carefully. The anxiety was still apparent in his faltering voice.

Andross added one last thing, "And I love ya. I know I have horrid taste, but I love you." He wrapped his arms around Armando, pulling him into a tight embrace. This time, all emotion but contentness had been removed from his tone.

Armando didn't feel shocked in the least, just cozy. He lowered his gaze so he met Andross' questioning amber eyes. In response, he took this opportunity to lean down and kiss Andross gently. _Now it's my turn to question. Are you gonna just stare at me or throw me away from you? Or are you going to punch me? _Getting punched was an equally likely resonse.

Andross offered a crooked smile. He murmured something that sounded like "Oh god" but Armando wasn't sure. Andross then kissed Armando back, but with a vengeance. Armando felt Andross' tongue part his lips, then dive into his mouth. He did the same, exploring every line and crevice. Finally, Andross broke the kiss, and pulled back slightly.

"I'm sure ...you know how... long I've ...waited for that," Andross panted.

Armando growled playfully, " I certainly do know, you poor thing." He smirked, just for the hell of it.

The two turned their heads as they heard faint footsteps and a silhouette to go along with them. The stranger got closer and closer to where Andross and Armando were that they could finally see him in the moonlit night.

Armando spoke first, "Who the hell are you?" His tone was somewhat sour, but he didn't give a damn at this point. Andross was still in his arms, and that seemed to be all that mattered.

"Kajuking," The stranger spoke. He was a yellow duck, with a lopsided smile and kind eyes, "I'm from Toon Union. New around here."

"Yeah, okay," Armando snorted, "You might as well go inside." He shot Kajuking a look that read, very clearly – _Go inside or else. _

Kajuking just smiled in response and carried on to get inside.

Andross spoke up next, "We should probably go back too. We've been gone long enough."

Armando nodded, "Probably."

**A/N: Yup, that's the end of chapter six. Thanks to all who have been reading up to this point. Things are finally starting to go well... for now. Keep watching for more. You're probably wondering 'What the heck does Kajuking had to do with this story?' That will come in later, I promise. And as always, reviews are love! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Toontown Online... or any of those other glorious moneymaking companies.**


	7. Better Than Him

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Seven: Better Than Him**

**A/N: I'd like everyone to know, before they read, that this chapter is rated M. It took a long time to write, because ...well, I've just never tried this before. And yes, before you spend your time flaming me, please bare in mind I did my best at this. Okay?... Oh and, I don't own Disney ...or Toontown. And ya caught me – I don't own Andross or Armando either; (HEHE.. but maybe I do own Armando; In a way ;]. HE'S MY BETA TOO, SO I KINDA OWN HIM.. Well, now, when I'm mad at him I can threaten to disown him. This author's note is going a little too far, sorry.) Although I have the sufficient privileges to use them. **

-x-x-x-x-x-

December 17th, 2002

Armando groaned and tried to muffle out the sounds of toons awaking from all around him. He tossed in his bed, turning away from the noises of another day starting. AJ hollered the day's boss battles, while everyone else got ready. _The way it's always worked. _Black Parade stirred from the bunk on top of him. He screwed his eyes shut, praying she wouldn't, or anyone for that matter, would try to talk to him. _Just let me sleep. _Armando thought groggily. His life had been in pieces lately; For one, Armando just isn't getting the jellybeans he needs from boss battles. Two, that first one wouldn't have been a problem, but lately his gambling skills had taken a nosedive. _I wonder how Andross is fairing, _Armando sleepily mused, but then seriously contemplated, _Where has he been anyway? I haven't seen him in forever. ...Bullshit, _He told himself, his mind having a "heated debate", _That's not true. You've seen him. He's always with Kajuking. _Almost spitting at the name, Armando was fully awake now, and ready to get out of bed.

The only thought of Kajuking made his face ravel out a look of pure distaste. Kajuking was a member of Union – and GV2 was fighting with them. It just didn't add up. Only god knows why he would take interest in someone such as Kajuking, the tall yellow duck.

Lately, that's the only person Andross had been with. _Kajuking this, and Kajuking that. _Whenever Armando had gone and visited GV2, he was always there, sitting, joking... and hell, whatever else he did with Andross. _It's not that my relationship with Andross is falling apart, _He tried to make himself believe, _But I haven't seen him alone within the last 3 weeks. Kajuking has to go. Maybe it's a phase, it will most likely wear off soon. Kajuking can't be mister perfect forever. _Armando's lips curved into a small, dark, sly smile.

"Actually," He said, pulling on his checkered vest, "I should go talk to him about it." Armando murmured to himself, while getting dressed. There were no other toons in the lodging house. By now, it was most likely that they were off getting started on today's tasks. _Yeah, I'll just go visit him tonight. _

-x-x-x-x-x-

The sun was setting, casting a brilliant view of reds and oranges throughout CCG territory. The boss battles had been slow today. _Extremely _slow. Thank god no snow had fallen yet, which was also usual for a December evening. Though it was chilly, and slightly windy, that was sure as hell not going to stop Armando from seeing Andross.

Armando bit his lower lip as he made his way into GV2 land. Everything was oddly busy tonight, shops still had toons bustling through them, as well as streets. _Where the hell did all these members come from? _The aqua blue dog didn't recognize any of them, but there was no time for figuring that out now.

He made his way around the corner, and stopped in front of a well-lit shop. _Sandman's Sandwiches. _Sandy owned the place, an elderly old pink cat – the one and only employee. Pushing the door open, friendly and familiar faces peered up at him. The chorus of greetings followed, in which Armando simply nodded at.

He gave the place a one-over. _...Andross? _Going over to his normal spot, Armando glared and cussed quietly at the empty chair. _Gah. Now where da hell is he? _"Where's Andross?" He questioned, to no one in particular, hoping for just about any response.

"He'll be back in a few minutes," Kajuking offered, who was sitting at another table, "Him and I were playing cards." He smiled, and shuffled the deck of cards in his hands.

"Kajuking," Armando gritted his teeth, "Mind coming over to the corner?" _I intend to find out just what's going on here. I've had it. _His pale blue eyes gleamed angrily, as if daring him to decline.

Kajuking only grinned, "Sure." And followed Armando to a corner of the store.

Armando talked in a hushed but furious voice, "What the hell is going on between you and Andross?" He glared directly into Kajuking, trying to pierce through his body.

The yellow duck sputtered, "It's... it's nothing. I am - ...Him and I are just good friends."

"Yeah, that totally explains why you spend every fuckin' moment with him." Armando bared his teeth and didn't shift his gaze. _I want him to feel intimidated; Burn through his eyes, Armando. _He told himself harshly. _I will not let Andross get stolen away from me. Especially not by this little bitch._ He aimed a blow at Kajuking's jaw, and heard Kajuking squeal softly in the pain that amounted from it.

Kajuking looked small and frightened, "I.. I'm real sorry, Armando. Andross would never replace you." He protested, while a thin line of blood ran from his cheek, "He talks about you all the time, I sw-" Kajuking was cut short when another visitor opened the door to Sandy's.

Armando recognized the voice that muttered, "Ah hell," immediately. _Lovely. Andross is here. _He turned himself so he was facing the door frame, a royal blue duck stood there with a scowl. Striding over to where Armando had Kajuking pinned against the wall, he stopped, "What did you do?" He growled darkly, his eyes demanding and serious.

Armando, for once in his life, felt oddly uncomfortable, and small around Andross. _No. I cannot feel this way. Andross must think I'm too damn stupid to notice the way Kajuking and him do everything together. _Armando sneered, "Sorry if I said anything to offend you Kajuking-"

Kajuking, who was starting to look a little less pale than when Armando had first attacked him, interrupted, "No.. no it's okay – you didn'-"

"I meant it," Armando glared, and didn't let up on his grip from the yellow duck's shoulders.

Andross shot him a look of disapproval, but his voice remained oddly cool, "Armando, why don't we talk _outside_?"

Armando was about to whine, but Andross was already halfway across the floor. "Son of a bitch," He muttered to both of them before following, though Andross was out of earshot by now.

Trailing behind his silently enraged lover, he slammed the door shut behind them once they were alone in the windy night. _So much for not being cold in December. _The streets had cleared up; Many toons had gone inside to escape from the dark night. Unspoken words of hate lingered around Armando. He hated himself for not trusting Andross, hated himself for thinking things would be alright between them if he didn't do things with him. But most of all, he hated himself for letting Andross slip through his fingers. _The one thing that meant the world to me. Now ...don't go sappy on me, Armando. _He thought and debated to himself, while silence pierced the night. Neither boy had said a word yet, and Armando was challenging himself. Trying to make Andross speak first.

After a while, he sighed and gave up, "Why did you bring me out here?" He said coldly, making contact with Andross' amber-gold eyes.

Andross looked away; Focusing his attention on the street, "Well, I, for one, don't stand around to watch while my friend is getting killed by my other friend."

Armando spat, "First off, your precious Kajuking will be fine. I punched his jaw, okay? Next, I want to know why the hell you think I'm only a _friend_? I thought we were something more than that." He narrowed his eyes, their irises glowing in the moonlight.

"I... I... Armando, you never-," Andross was at a loss of words, something that didn't occur very often. This moment would be something Armando would most likely never experience again. Andross sighed, "I didn't know we were like that."

Armando just shoved his paws down deeper into his blue pants with the silver belt.

"You never told me!" Andross burst out, looking frustrated and exasperated at himself more than with Armando. He turned around and took a swing at the wall of Sandman's Sandwiches, but only to flinch back in pain. Blood welled around Andross' knuckles, and he sat down, defeated. "I'm sorry, Armando." He murmured, but it sounded like it was more to himself. "I know that wasn't smart."

"What, and you thought punching a damn _wall_ would be?" Armando's words struck him, almost as much as if he was just hit in the gut. But instead of just giving the street a cold glare, Armando moved closer to Andross. "Do you have one of these anywhere?" He asked, motioning to the bandana around his neck.

Andross went to pull it out but his hand was caught by Armando's. "Let me," He instructed, "Which pocket?"

"It's in my-" Andross gasped as Armando didn't wait for an answer, but instead reached for his front pant's pocket.

Armando reached in the pocket, felt around, and moved his paw suggestively against Andross' thigh. "Oops, silly me. Wrong pocket." He grinned devilishly, and did the same with the other pocket, horizontal from the first.

After Armando had found the correct pocket, he wrapped Andross' hand carefully in it, trying to stop the blood from flowing. _There. Maybe for once he'll listen to me instead of hitting walls._

"Listen Armando, I'm really sorry. I just didn't know we were ...you know.. dating." Andross looked awkward, "Can I please have another chance?"

Armando pretended to think. It wasn't like him to forgive at the drop of a hand, but maybe, just _maybe_, for the love of his life he could make en exception. "Yeah, but no getting touchy-feely with other boys." He growled, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Yeah, I promise I won't," Andross nodded, and leaned forward to plant a firm kiss on Armando's lips.

Andross tasted of something tangy, but Armando didn't know what it was. He dug his tongue further into Andross' mouth, causing Andross to moan quietly. _Trust me, what I'm about to do will make you moan more than that. _He promised the royal blue duck silently.

He started to make his way down Andross' neck, biting gently at the soft flesh. Andross threw his head back against the wall and groaned. Heftily undoing his vest buttons, he slid Andross' shirt off and continued to press hot, open-mouthed kisses down his chest.

Andross lurched forward and grabbed onto Armando's cowboy shirt, tugging it off. Andross wrapped himself around the aqua dog, allowing his body to be lost in the heat when he closed the space between them.

_So.. Andross likes to cuddle? _He thought confusedly. _Works for me. _"Andross... I- I need to.." Without trying to explain himself, he grasped Andross' hand and led him down the street to a nearby alleyway. He positioned Andross on a crate for the time being, as Andross was still glassy-eyed and looked barely able to speak; Armando undid Andross' belt and slid down his pants.

Armando reached out to touch him, and Andross gasped once more. Curling his fingers around Andross, he slid up to the tip of him, causing Andross' breath to escape in ragged moans. He felt his own erection growing as he worked Andross faster.

As Andross began to buck into Armando's paw, he knew it was only a matter of time before the fun came to a close. _Well, try to beat that, _He scoffed in his mind at Kajuking, _He's all mine, now. _Something with Armando made him possessive over Andross, like no one else. Maybe it was just the fact that he loved him... But hell, with Armando, nobody knows for sure.

Andross moaned for the last time, then arched his back and a sticky warmth coated Armando's paw. The royal blue duck looked satisfied but slightly flushed.

"You like that?" Armando asked, grinning cockily.

Andross ran a paw down Armando's chest, "Mmhmm.. I'd die for it."

"Thought so. You sick little bitch," Armando teased playfully.

"Love you too," Andross snorted.

And this time, Armando couldn't help the smile that made it's way onto his face.


	8. Defining Trouble

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Eight: Defining Trouble**

March 7th, 2003

Armando was having trouble getting himself to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day for him. His one day off during the week, to be exact. _The one day... The only day I get to be myself. And do whatever I want. _Flippy had just recently stepped in and changed the working policy, and to get one day off? That was a miracle to the overworked toons of Toontown. Armando lied soundlessly in his bed as he thought about how much longer they could have gone without a day off. It was hard to believe the CCG members wouldn't have all quit within the next year; They were all tired now days. The whole of CCG felt like AJ was becoming less and less apparent. He quit shouting the day's jobs and wrote it down, then posted it to the bulletin board downstairs instead. _In fact, he isn't even seen much. _Armando tried to recall the last time AJ had come into the bunk room shouting the boss battle order... It must have been late January, but it had felt way longer than that... The only time he came in the bunk room was to wake them up with a quick, "Get up, bums!".

-x-x-x-x-x-

March 8th, 2003

When Armando jolted awake, the first thing he saw was sunlight peeking in through the windows. Stretching, he wondered how early it was. None of the other members had moved yet, and AJ wasn't in here to wake everyone up. _Doesn't matter. I won't be able to get back to sleep. _Armando normally had no problem at all with sleep, but spring was different. In spring, all he wanted to do was get outside and remember that summer was on it's way. Spring was, indeed, his favorite season. Fall was too windy... Winter, too cold – and summer? Too damn hot. Spring was just right.

Armando sat up and got himself off the bed. _How odd. I actually like being up before everyone else. _Something about getting up before everyone made Armando pleased with himself. Like he'd accomplished a task; It was mainly because that gave him more time to do things.. Things that others wouldn't know about. _And if I have knowledge over them.. I'm more powerful. _He smirked, loving having the upper hand within his grasp.

In all honesty, Armando wasn't a power freak in the least – but he did enjoy his respect. And for some unknown reason, AJ admired that in him. His courage and wits were all that had kept him alive throughout the past year and five months. _Wow, almost a year and a half. _He thought tidly. _Since I joined CCG. Now nobody can dare call me a noob anymore. _Armando smirked proudly, while pulling on his favorite pair of pants: The grey and navy ones with the silver belt. He had chosen to wear his best shirt, too. He pulled on a dark, blue and darker blue striped shirt. _They look nice together,_ Armando decided and grinned.

The rising sun felt warm against his pelt as he made his way out of the lodging house. The air outside felt fresh, as he breathed it in. _Much better than the combustion of what... twenty-five toons living together in a small space? _Of course not all the CCG toons lived in that one room, but they did, however, still live in the bunk house. There were many rooms, eight upstairs, counting AJ's, and at least four downstairs. Armando hadn't been down there too much, because that was going into the basement.. And in the basement? _...Well, who the hell would go down there anyway?_ Unlike some of the other toons, he didn't have too many friends within CCG that _weren't _assigned the same bunk room. "Now that I think about it.. I met most of my friends _because _of the bunk room," He murmured to himself, as he walked down the streets of CCG land. Shops were just opening, meaning that toons may come pouring out of the lodging house at any minute now. _Not today, _Armando reminded himself, _It's a day off today. _And remembering his day off was a reason to grin for the next hour, and that's exactly what he did.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Armando sat at the round table in the CCG lodging house. It was getting to be afternoon, Armando's least favorite time of day to be outside moving around. _I can never get anything done during the hottest time of the day, so why get into a routine of it during springtime? Summer stinks. _He concluded, as if that solved everything. No one, besides Black Parade, Chester, Ebony, Sheriff C.J., and AJ were in the lodging house. _I bet everyone else is with their friends, playing outside? _He guessed, daydreaming slightly.

Unfortunately, his daydreaming was crashed altogether when AJ interrupted, "Can I speak with you, Armando?" He requested ..rather, _ordered_, nonchalantly. _Wonder what it is this time. _He tried to give himself a clue as to if this may be good or bad by AJ's expression.. But it gave nothing away. The blue horse was standing on the staircase, growing impatient at Armando's lack of reaction.

He followed behind AJ, and shut the door to his room after they were both inside, "Yes, AJ? What do you want?" He tried to sound pleasant but not demanding.

AJ ran his hoof over a sealed package, "Mind playing delivery boy?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Where is it to?" Armando said, sounding half asleep. _Errands. That's all I ever do for this guy!_

AJ looked frazzled by the question, but told him, "This package needs to go to Decoy." His expression changed drastically, making him seem intimidating, "And Decoy only." AJ stated lowly.

Armando cried out, "How am I supposed to find Decoy? Union is a bunch of street rats!" _Why couldn't this package have to go to... Little Fancy? Or ..Zany? Or anyone else?_

AJ snorted, "I'm sure you'll figure it out... I'd deliver it myself, but I have to stick around here and wait for a different message."

He looked back at AJ, confused. _Leadership.. is that all it is? Getting people to do things for you? And ..coming up with strange retorts? I love it. _"Yeah, sure." Armando grabbed the brown box and put it under his arm, "I'll get this to Decoy, somehow."He said under his breath.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The afternoon sun was starting to shift positions into a lower part of the sky. _Not bad timing, AJ. _Armando grimaced when he thought of the task ahead. He hadn't wasted any time getting on the road, especially not when he knew he'd be at this for a few hours. Union was scattered. Scattered everywhere in their land. Of course they had a main street, alleys, but for the most part it was trashy.. Plus, there was no general "hang-out" place. _Shoot me. _

Armando was walking to the border between CCG territory, GV2 lands, and Union, but then came up with – what seemed to be – a brilliant idea. _I'll get Andross to come with me. The bastard will have to suffer like I do_. Armando carried on to quite an extent, but never _really _thought of Andross as a bitch.. For the last three months, they had even been dating, which made Armando's day in and of itself.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"So will you go with me?" Armando asked.

"No."

"Please?" He tried to say it with puppy eyes.

"I said no." Andross scowled, holding his face in his hands.

"Please?"

"No."

"_Please?_"

"_No!_"

"Come _on._ You know you can't resist walking with me. Alone." He winked playfully.

The royal blue duck sighed, "Walking to _Union _to deliver a package to their co-leader, _Decoy_, isn't exactly my forte, Armando."

Armando wouldn't give up just yet, "Aw, come on. Please? Just this once!" _I'm actually having fun with this, _He smirked.

"Alright, fine. But it's only because this is the best mood I'll ever see you in."

Armando nodded, knowing he would eventually win this, "So let's go."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Andross and Armando went silent the minute they walked into Union territory. They both knew it was best not to be heard.

But Armando couldn't bite his lip any longer, "I knew you'd come." He elbowed Andross.

"Go to hell," Andross muttered.

They rounded a corner, only to see Logan. _Oh, fuck. God damn it.. Fuck my life! Fuck, fuck.. Shit. _Armando swore excessively to himself. The red mouse was Union's third in command, and he had one hell of a record with Andross.

"_He's_ the one who started that fight with me, and you know that we've been having a little trouble with each other," Andross growled lowly, trying to stay out of earshot, "_He's_ the reason I hate Union."

"Yeah, I got that Andross," Armando replied, attempting to stay calm, "And he's also the reason we are going to back up. 'Kay?" He prayed that Logan didn't see them.

Slowly the two backed up. But Armando was stopped when he hit something. Something soft... and squishy. _It's just a wall. Walls are always soft and squishy. _Telling himself lies didn't help. Turning around, Landon was standing there. Landon was well-built, a green, blue and red mouse.. (Better built than Logan, anyway.) Union's representative.

"Shit," Andross mumbled a curse next to him.

Before Armando had a chance to warn him, Andross was smacked across the face by Landon. Logan was coming up from behind them too, he could hear it. _Of all the no good Union …_ The thought was discontinued by Logan's blow to Armando's shoulder. _Alright. If he wants to play it this way.. then it's battle time._

Andross had started his own fight off with Landon, which could later turn into an issue. He had never seen the way GV2 members fought; CCG and them were never at that point. But he still had to worry. Unlike Andross, (or so he thought) Armando had grown up in a rather rough and ragged playground before moving in with CCG. So hell yeah, he knew how to fight.

He whipped around to face Logan, trying to intimidate him. Just for a second. The delivery was lying on the ground, and it could stay there for a while. A second was all Armando needed in order to distract him, and land a hurtful punch to Logan's eye. _Plan successful. _While Logan was concentrating on his eye, and make sure it was undamaged, Armando already had his next move planned. He snaked around Logan, and kicked harshly where his knee would be. Logan then fell, allowing Armando a chance to get in front of him once more. Thinking out his last punch, he aimed, and fired. Armando slammed his fist into Logan's jaw, hopefully breaking it. Andross wasn't fairing too well. He had scratches down his cheek, and as Armando turned over to see him, he was violently punched in the ribs.

Armando growled and ran over to Landon, who was still distracted with Andross, and jammed his fist into Landon's cheek. The mouse must have been hit a few good times by Andross, because he was thrown to the ground by the impact of Armando's punch. Snorting, Armando kicked him once in the ribs, just to see how he'd like it.

"Pansy," He scowled at Landon, then turned to Andross, and in a gentle tone whispered, "Are you alright?"

The blue duck nodded abruptly, but then requested, "Can we go sit somewhere?"

_Isn't that shocking... He wants to go sit? I thought Andross was supposed to be the big tough guy. _Armando took Andross by the hand and led him to a street closer to GV2 territory. "Is here okay?" He asked, not knowing why he cared so much and felt like he had to protect Andross with all his life suddenly.

"Oh yeah, here is fine," Andross slumped and sat on the ground.. No, lied on the ground, actually. _The punch to the ribs must have been painful._

Armando laid next to him, "Are you sure you're alright?" He said softly, inside his head pleading that Andross would tell him what's wrong. He ran a smooth paw from Andross' jawline, across his neck, over his ribs, and traced lazy patterns on him, taking extra care to be gentle.

Andross stared into Armando's brilliant, filled-with-love-and-concern eyes, "Yeah, as long as you're here." He smiled up at Armando.

Armando blinked dreamily at Andross, _How the hell did I get like this? We're normally bickering. Okay. I will begin the bickering once he's well. But until then... _He sprawled himself over Andross, propping himself up on his elbows so he wouldn't hurt Andross further. _I'll get a doctor for you, soon. I swear. _He promised Andross within his mind. Armando kissed Andross on the lips, and the taste of blood was apparent – but he didn't give a damn. Exploring every crevice of Andross' mouth for the, what seemed like, but never got old, millionth time. Their tongues brushed lightly, as they made out on the Union sidewalk.

Once they broke the kiss, Armando cleared his throat, "Let's go get that package delivered, I bet we could get that fat ass, Logan, to tell us where Decoy is." He cracked a smile.

Andross chuckled, "Sure. I'll be fine for a while, just tell me – could you ...uh, you know, find a toon that knows medics when we get back home?"

"Definitely," Armando grinned, "Oh, and you totally owe me for saving your ass from Landon."

Andross didn't respond verbally, but instead just pulled Armando into another kiss.

-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: Yaaaaay! Chapter eight! AND Armando to the rescue! (Who knew..) I'm trying to rush myself and get as many chapters as I can done tonight.. And hopefully, by Wednesday, be finished with the fanfiction completely. Noo.. It's not that I don't like this or anything – however, I do have an idea for another new fanfiction that I'd like to get started on. (It's hard to do two fanfictions at once!) And do not fear, my readers, Andross and Armando definitely will go back to their usual banter soon enough. Trust me, I miss their witty dialogue as much as the next person.. But hey, I had to give them a heart at one point in the story. Reviews are love :)**


	9. Leader's Word

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Nine: Leader's Word**

June 2nd, 2003

The sun was drifting down and into the horizon. In which, Armando thought, was quite peaceful, if not for the fact he was watching this sun set while preparing for tonight's gambling meet. Lately, he hadn't bothered to go at all. His usual tug to go to them had been erased completely; Which was a little strange.. to the members of CCG, any way. But it was no mystery to Armando as to why he didn't bother showing up. It was all thanks to Andross, who had been spending their free time together for the last ...well, since January. _There is nothing better than meeting up with that royal blue duck,_ Armando decided mentally, _The only one I can share bitter remarks with and not end up with a black eye. _So ...the second part wasn't exactly true. Armando _had _gotten a black eye from Andross once, but that was purely on accident.

Armando reminisced to the day where they had been on the GV2's shitty docks, just with their feet dangling in the water at the time, about a month ago. He had tried bringing up the Union delivery task he was asked to do by AJ in March, and Andross talked about it – very openly. _As he should have. We'd have no reason to avoid the subject. _Armando mused, _We weren't injured too badly, stepping away from a hell of a fight. _But the talk on the beach during that May day somehow got to the topic of "Can We Fight Just To See What To Improve On?" _Okay... not their best idea,_ Armando concluded, biting his lower lip, as not to chuckle. The toons around him, the ones walking to the gambling shack were already beginning to stare, due to his lack of concentration, but that didn't matter. _All that matters is tonight I will be seeing Andross. And everything's going to go wonderfully. _Armando replayed the scene in his head. We will see each other, and just have a great night. That's all. He wouldn't have been trying so hard to convince himself otherwise, but a sinking feeling had settled in the bottom of his stomach, and that normally meant something was going to go wrong. _As it always does. _Armando added bitterly.

"We're here," AJ announced matter-of-factually to the CCG members, as he held the broken door open, watching each one of them make their way inside.

Armando stopped in the doorway, a confused look replacing the smirk that was almost always present, "Where is everyone?"

AJ shrugged, and followed Armando inside, "Who knows," He muttered lowly, almost to himself.

Right after Armando and the CCG members had begun to get comfortable, the door was opening again, and GV2 members flooded the area. _Guess we found out what "Who knows" means. _He grimaced to himself, but then his mood became lighter as Andross stepped in.

Andross hurriedly sat down, next to Armando in his usual chair, and playfully asked, "I think I've seen you somewhere before."

Armando just snorted, "Yeah, that's why I don't go there anymore."

Pepito cut in, "Oh, look, Armando's got a boyfriend."

Little Fancy and AJ must have both heard the comment, as they snickered in unison. _Yeah, yeah. Fuck you, Pepito._

Armando growled, but didn't exactly mean it, because he was most definitely content with being Andross' boyfriend, "Go to hell," and continued shuffling the cards in his paws.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Kajuking burst through the door of the gambling shed. _Where the hell have you been? Oh, and by the way, you look like shit. _Armando tried to push out the thoughts swirling inside his head, but he didn't have to.. They were replaced by shock when Kajuking shrieked, "I've been banned from Union!"

Many, many toons loved Kajuking, and had gotten to be friends with him within the passed nine months, which would explain the dead silence that followed his outburst.

Spotty Picklecrash, from the GV2 was the burst to pipe up and question, "But why?"

"I... I don't know." Kajuking confessed, looking already more lame that what he already was to Armando. It didn't help when Andross stood up, and went over to the doorway to sling an arm around his neck. _Bastard. Trying to make me jealous? _

That must have given Kajuking a little strength, because he cleared his throat and continued, "I don't know the reason behind this either, but they're plotting against you guys." His gaze ran icily across the faces of GV2 members, and stopped on Little Fancy Pedalwhip. "You are all in for it." He whispered warningly.

_Alright. That's it. No more pussy footing around. _"Way to make a night into hell," He mumbled, hoping that was out of earshot to Andross. When he saw the look of ferocity gleaming in Andross' dark amber eyes, he knew luck wasn't on his side tonight. _Well fuck me. _He thought bitterly.

Instead of dealing with Andross, who was still trying to comfort Kajuking, Armando thought it would be better to see what AJ was going to do. Poking and prodding at his side, AJ finally took notice. "What is it, Armando?" He demanded, clearly annoyed. _Wow. This bitch doesn't like to be disturbed when playing poker. _

"What are you going to do about the GV2 and Union? It's obvious they're going to need some help," Armando suggested, hoping that he could be the brave hero once again that would save Andross.

AJ just snorted, "They can fight their own battles."

_What? What the hell did you just say? What kind of leader are you? You bastard. _Armando would have asked for nothing more than to strangle AJ at that point.

"Oh, thanks, that actually reminds me," Standing up, he announced to all CCG members, "I hate to do this to you all, but until the GV2 clears things up with Union, no one is allowed to cross the border. Got that? And I mean Union _and _GV2." His dark eyes dared anyone to speak up against him.

_Asshole. How... how am I going to see Andross? _He wondered crossly. _You've really fucked us __this time, AJ. Too fuckin' bad your word is law, _Armando bit his tongue and glared at AJ. For what? The trillionth time that night.

-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: Shorter chapter than many of the other ones, but I didn't have much to put in this one. Reviews are love. :)**


	10. Note Tag

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Ten: Note Tag**

November 28th, 2003

Armando slouched lower against the alley's brick wall. It was still dark outside, and morning hadn't come yet.. Nor did sleep. Today was Andross' birthday, and he had claimed to _need _to see Armando, which he definitely understood. The whole "guy loving another guy" had started to sink in with the CCG members, though they weren't hostile (_most_ of them); Armando did get odd glances once and a while. They found out when Armando began to show public displays of affection towards Andross, and things went from there. _Lucky bastard. The GV2 accepts anyone, no matter what sexuality they are. _He growled lowly, just at the thought of being kicked out of CCG for being in love with Andross. _The members took it worse than the goddamned leader. AJ didn't even throw a fit.. He _laughed._ Not in a "What the hell were you thinking" way.. but more of a "You thought I wouldn't understand?" way. _Which puzzled Armando more than anything.

But soon enough, Andross would be here, and everything would be okay. Many unspoken words came between the two boys whenever they saw each other ...and they knew it, too. The words that couldn't be put into meaningful enough sentences, such as "I really enjoy spending time with you" and "I love you".

A silhouetted figure stopped in front of Armando, and he knew exactly who it was, "Hey, birthday boy." Armando greeted him.

Andross grinned, and wasted no time to claim his spot in Armando's lap, "Thanks for.. you know, being here. It is, like, four in the morning."

"I don't need sleep," He replied simply.

The dog and duck sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each others presence.

"It sucks that you can't come into GV2 territory anymore," Andross commented, keeping his eyes fixed on Armando's, "We really miss you."

Armando snorted, "Are you programmed to say that?"

"No," Andross snapped, "I was only being _honest_."

"Let me guess, Pepito is just dying to hear from me."

He glared at Armando, "Pepito's the _only _one who hasn't said anything about you."

The aqua dog only snickered, and Andross sighed.

"_I _missed you, Armando." Andross confessed.

Armando stared into Andross' golden eyes, that were now filled with relief and sadness. Something he rarely saw. He replied, "I missed you too, Andross. But you know you can't be here, and if we get caught..." Armando trailed off.

"Don't remind me," Andross begged.

They were silence once more, but this time for a different reason. Armando had kissed Andross to shut him up; He didn't want to deal with what CCG would do to them if they found out.

"Happy Birthday," Armando murmured quietly to Andross, whose head was rested in the crook of Armando's neck.

Andross didn't stir, he looked quite comfortable, and Armando leaned back, and let him rest.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Armando snapped awake when he realized the afternoon sun was above him, and groaned. Andross was gone, but in his place was a piece of paper. _The hell is this? _Armando thought, in a bad mood because he wondered how he had fallen asleep. He picked up the little slip, and on the back, there was lyrics to Armando's favorite song in Andross' hand writing.

_I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things _  
><em>We can do the tango just for two <em>  
><em>I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings <em>  
><em>Be your valentino just for you <em>

_Ooh love - ooh loverboy _  
><em>What're you doin' tonight, hey boy <em>  
><em>Set my alarm, turn on my charm <em>  
><em>That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy<em>

Armando smiled as he read the song lyrics over and over. His smiling was put to an end when AJ was suddenly looming over him.

"Yes, AJ?" Armando prayed his voice wouldn't let out a noise, giving away that he was frightened by how much AJ had seen.

AJ just smirked, "Come with me."

AJ led him directly to Spaghetti and Goofballs, Armando's favorite restaurant. And took a seat at the nearest table. The Italian food's scent drifted all around them, but Armando ignored it, as he wasn't hungry in the least. _I'm just nervous.. Something that should never happen to me. I'm Armando. I'm supposed to be brave._

AJ had a freaky 6th sense, the one that could pick up on moods, and Armando hated it. He hated when _anyone _knew something that he didn't, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

"Yeah? Then why did you bring me here?" Armando demanded, not caring if he sounded defensive, because if this was a lecture about being openly gay, he wanted nothing to do with it.

AJ looked stunned, "It's not." He said quietly, "It's about _me_, for a change."

Armando was shocked. _What the hell did he just say? _"Listen.. I'm sorry for snapping AJ."

"It's okay," AJ cleared his throat distractedly, "I want you to take over CCG. I'm leaving... And, well, to be blunt, you're the only member that has ever dared to stand up for something."

Armando snorted, "No kidding.. But.. you want me to be the _leader_?" _Is this some kind of joke? _His mind was whirling in a cloud of disbelief.

"Yes," He replied simply.

Armando had a thousand questions to ask, but most of them could wait, "Where are you going?"

AJ chuckled lowly, "I've served as leader for a good four years. I think I deserve some peace." He must have picked up on the way Armando was still staring at him blankly, "If that doesn't answer your question.. I'll be far away from here."

"That works, I guess."

AJ offered a lopsided smile, "Yeah. And oh, tell your boyfriend I said happy birthday." He requested, with a glint of knowing in his eyes.

Armando made a face, "You know all about that?"

AJ rolled his eyes, "I can see, Armando."

"If you keep doing that, they're going to fall out," Armando smirked. AJ just glared. He knew he shouldn't talk to his former leader that way, but what the hell.

"Good luck," AJ dipped his head, "Lead CCG safely, got it?"

"Yeah, I somehow missed that." Armando sarcastically replied, but then agreed.

_What the fuck just happened here? Well, I'm going to GV2 first.. to tell Andross. At poker night, I'll tell Union. And I hope AJ already told CCG. _Armando almost grinned at the thought that he can remove the traveling ban.

-x-x-x-x-x-

He and Andross sat on Armando's new bed.. in his _new _room, after telling the GV2, CCG _and _removing the traveling ban. Armando was content, slightly stressed, and Andross was just shocked.

"Why would he choose you?" Andross snorted.

"Some boyfriend you are!" Armando snapped playfully.

Andross shrugged, and smirked a little, "Only the best."

Armando decided to ignore it, "He chose me because of my personality. If you haven't noticed, it's absolutely charming."

"Don't be so humble," Andross mumbled, "What about Kajuking? Now that you're leader.. Can't he join CCG?"

Armando hadn't expected this question, and it caught him off guard. _Time to weigh out the goods and the bads. Andross would be happy with me, and so would Kajuking. _He hoped. _Then I can also monitor his behavior. _Over all, it seemed like a decent plan. Armando nodded.

Andross grinned widely, "I'll go tell him later. He's been staying with the GV2 for a while."

_What have I done? _He brought himself into panic mode, but all his thoughts of being anxious were quickly swept away, as Andross pinned him down to the bed. _Do whatever you want. _He silently hoped that Andross would take advantage of this, and Armando was almost sure that he would.

_I'm so glad I have you._

-x-x-x-x-x-

Andross walked slowly to his trashy-looking bunk bed, then sighed. _What a birthday. _He smiled to himself, his birthday had in fact turned out wonderfully. _Armando getting to be leader of CCG? Who knew. And allowing Kajuking to join? Maybe he really does have a heart. _He added sarcastically to his wandering thoughts. As he got into bed, he noticed a note. _..What's this? _Andross turned it over, and it was the rest of his and Armando's song, written in Armando's handwriting. _He must have left it when he came up here to announce he was leader..._

_Ooh let me feel your heartbeat (Grow faster, faster)_  
><em>Ooh ooh can you feel my love heat<em>  
><em>Come on and sit on my hot-seat of love<em>  
><em>And tell me how do you feel right after-all<em>  
><em>I'd like for you and I to go romancing<em>  
><em>Say the word - your wish is my command<em>

_Ooh love - ooh loverboy_  
><em>What're you doin' tonight, hey boy<em>  
><em>Write my letter<em>  
><em>Feel much better<em>  
><em>And use my fancy patter on the telephone<em>

_When I'm not with you_  
><em>I think of you always<em>  
><em>(I miss those long hot summer nights)<em>  
><em>I miss you<em>  
><em>When I'm not with you<em>  
><em>Think of me always<em>  
><em>Love you - love you<em>

_Hey boy where do you get it from_  
><em>Hey boy where did you go ?<em>  
><em>I learned my passion in the good old<em>  
><em>Fashioned school of loverboys<em>

_Dining at the Ritz we'll meet at nine precisely_  
><em>One two three four five six seven eight nine o' clock<em>  
><em>I will pay the bill, you taste the wine<em>  
><em>Driving back in style, in my saloon will do quite nicely<em>  
><em>Just take me back to yours that will be fine (Come on and get it)<em>

_Ooh love, (There he goes again just like a good old-fashioned lover boy)_  
><em>Ooh loverboy<em>  
><em>What're you doin' tonight, hey boy<em>  
><em>Everything's all right<em>  
><em>Just hold on tight<em>  
><em>That's because I'm a good old-fashioned fashioned lover boy<em>

Andross laughed quietly. _Yep, Armando.. The good old-fashioned loverboy._

-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: I personally think this is the most heartwarming chapter I've ever written. :P Hope you guys enjoy lots and lots of fluff. The song is "Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy" by Queen, in which I don't own. Thanks for reading; Reviews are love! :) [And come on, the two boys playing note tag is kinda cute, don't you agree?]**


	11. Bricks and Walls

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Eleven: Bricks and Walls**

April 4th, 2004

Armando paced, hands behind his back and face down. Something had been bothering him the last few months, and he finally placed a paw on what it was. _Kajuking. Letting him join was a mistake. _So far, the yellow duck had been nothing but trouble. Not the good, mischief kind of trouble.. but the darker kind. The "dark trouble" that stirred up and provoked fights. _Exactly what he's been doing, _Armando thought gravely. Kajuking had turned out to be a duck with a decent personality after all. He was calm and easygoing. _On the outside. _But while he had been a CCG member, Armando had every right to watch what he did all the time. _As a leader, it's my job to watch the members. _He told himself for the millionth time. A pang of guilt still settled inside of him, as if saying "you shouldn't have even thought about it this hard". Armando knew perfectly well what Kajuking had been doing. _He looks kind and sweet. And sounds that way too.. But not when it comes to fights. _It didn't take a fool to see that Kajuking was a bitch when it came to fights. "Bitch" as in a damn pussy. He provoked the fights, shooting insults here and there but never carried through. Kajuking would always leave the other party fighting with someone other than him.

"I've got to do something about that," Armando muttered lowly, only to himself. He had been wearing out the floor in his room for the last hour with all his pacing, and the air was thick with thoughts; Unfinished thoughts about what to do. The weather outside was not helping in the least. Thunder storms had been sweeping through all week, and tonight was another one. _And hopefully the last. I wonder how many toons will even show up for gambling tonight. It sucks to not be in CCG. _Which was true, tonight anyway. CCG had the shortest walk to the shed, and they certainly made use of that. _GV2 was the most unlikely to appear this evening. _Union had, again, been giving them shit, for reasons Armando didn't understand. It was something about Kajuking's temporary stay with them, but now that he was with CCG, Armando didn't pick up on why it mattered. _If _it mattered. _Union will fight about anything. _He concluded with an exhausted sigh.

Before he completed his thoughts, a sharp rap was heard on the door, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, door's unlocked," Armando replied, recognizing the voice as Lily Mizzenpop's, "You need something?" _Thanks for interrupting my thoughts, Lily. _

"Are you almost ready to go?" Lily sounding like she was trying _hard _to be patient, "Gambling night, you know."

_Of course I know. _"Yeah, we should probably get going." Armando agreed, thinking it would be for the better if he didn't bicker with his members.

Lily squealed like a small child, "I'll go tell everyone downstairs. They're all huddled to keep out of the rain."

_Beautiful.. So she's basically saying there's a crowd downstairs? Of all the people who risk getting wet for what.. gambling? Damn. Sometimes they puzzle me. ..Please don't let Kajuking be one of them. _He pleaded silently, after Lily had left him. Armando slowly trailed behind her, attempting to look as pleasant as possible. _Until _he saw Kajuking, waiting with the rest of them. _God, no. Why did he have to go? He's only going to start fights that he can't finish. _Armando let a small, inaudible groan escape.

"Let's get going," He called, making his way out the door and into the drizzling darkness. _This is going to be a charming walk. Just charming. _Everyone stayed quiet, excluding a few stray whispers every now and then from the toons in the back. They knew better than to be chatty and happy tonight. Their leader was clearly in a negative mood, and they didn't want to be the first one to get yelled at; Especially when they got to the gambling area.

"Welcome to hell," Armando muttered, holding the broken-down door open as all his members piled inside, looking relieved as they got out of the rain. _It's just a goddamn drizzle, _He was about to say aloud, but then remembered his sour response to the rain when he first realized he'd be walking through it.

Andross was waiting for him inside, with Kajuking at his heels, talking a mile a minute. They were sitting close to each other, both in their normal chairs. As Armando strained to make out the conversation, he heard Decoy whispering something about Kajuking. He tried to casually lean in to get a better idea of what they were talking about, when Andross waved him over. _I give up. I'll figure it out later._

"Hey," Armando dipped his head slightly, greeting Andross. The royal blue duck looked _nice _tonight.. Much nicer than Armando would have ever dressed to go gambling.

Andross smirked, "Going to stand there all night, or are you planning to take a seat?"

"Oh you know me, I like to stand here. All _fucking _night." Armando snorted.

Andross watched as Armando took a seat, "Thought so."

Armando grinned as Andross was passed a deck from a nearby toon, then began shuffling. He just watched in a daze as his boyfriend dealt out the cards. "You wanna play?" Andross said, turning to him.

"No, count me out of this one. I'd like to watch tonight," Armando responded coolly, looking at who was all in for this one. _If I did get myself dealt in, I'd be against.. Let's see... Andross, Kajuking, hmm... Dark Cloud, Little Fancy, and Chilly. Not exactly my crowd. _He watched as the toons started to apply their poker faces and went about playing Deuces Wild. Even though Armando knew very well that was his favorite game, he had sat out only because Kajuking was in. Not to mention going against Andross almost guaranteed Armando would be the one losing. _Andross is too good at these games. _He sighed. _Maybe tonight will be okay. Kajuking will hopefully not attempt to pick a fight, and Andross won't take his side on everything tonight. _Armando leaned back in his chair, "Maybe this will be alright after all." He murmured to himself.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"You dirty cheater!" Kajuking shrieked, as Dark Cloud won for the seventh time,consecutively That certainly did prove something, but it could either be she's lucky as hell, or she _is _cheating. This could also prove something else – Kajuking was picking a fight. Armando groaned, _Why me? Why do I __have to deal with him? No wonder the GV2 was anxious to be rid of the bastard._

The fight raged on. Kajuking wouldn't back down, and Dark Cloud wouldn't either. No one stopped them, and it didn't look like anyone was about to. Armando tuned back in.

"I did _not _cheat, you asshole." Dark Cloud retorted, "If I did cheat, you wouldn't have known." Armando tried not to snicker at Dark Cloud's comment. Her expression appeared utterly _dangerous. _Something Armando hadn't seen in a long time, but reassured himself that if he had to, he could take her.

"Yes, you did!" Kajuking glared, probably desperately praying she wouldn't back down, "Either that or the dealer was trying to set you up."

Chilly had dealt this round of cards. He sat with his face in his paws, like he was trying to block out the fight... and the world, to be honest. The blue bear didn't say much. In fact, he didn't say _anything _when he didn't have to.

Dark Cloud was still furious at Kajuking. _Lovely. Black cat versus yellow duck. This ought to end well. _But of course, if things got rough, the toons expected Armando to step in and break it up. His members were his responsibility; Dark Cloud and Kajuking were both his members.

Kajuking still claimed it was the dealer who set her up to this, and she started to turn on Chilly. "You son of a bitch!" She spat at him, "You think I'd cheat for you?" Chilly was trying desperately to pretend he hadn't heard that.

"I didn't set you up," He finally shot back, and it seemed if things got bad enough, the blue bear was ready to fight.

Dark Cloud didn't look convinced, "Hell yeah you did."

At that point, Armando leaned over to his second in command, Lollipop, and whispered urgently, "I need to go outside. If Dark Cloud and Chilly get violent, pull Dark Cloud away. _Chilly _is none of our concern."

She nodded briskly as Armando leaned the other way to whisper to Andross, "Meet me outside." He growled.

"And as for you," Armando snapped at Kajuking, "Come with me." He pulled Kajuking right out the door by his shirt, with Andross following behind them. Once outside, he noticed the rain had ceased. _Thank god. I didn't want to be standing out in the rain doing this._

"You started that fight," He accused Kajuking, "And _you know it._" Armando set a heavy glare on Kajuking, as if daring him to object. _You know it's true. Now give it up._

"No," Kajuking almost whined, trying to appear as pathetic and helpless as possible, "I didn't mean it, Armando." He almost whimpered.

"Damn it, Armando," Andross snarled, "It's damn obvious he didn't try to start that fight."

Armando swung around to face Andross, "That's bullshit. You _saw_ him do it. And he's been doing that for the last 5 months. Open your goddamned eyes, Andross. If he wants to do that to my members,_ fine_. I can deal with that, and they can handle themselves. But he sure as hell won't be one of them, then."

Kajuking looked shocked, and Andross just had this expression of full-out anger. As if he was truly not in the least concerned about where he was going, Kajuking whipped around and stalked off.

And then, Armando was ready for the worst of it. Andross exploded on him, "You ain't got a damn scrap of decency left in you!" He yelled.

Armando stared, keeping his face emotionless, "Kajuking is _not _ever welcomed back. He's bad news."

"To who?" Andross challenged sharply.

"I have to assume that you're telling me you didn't have a fucking clue what that fight was about. Or how it even got started. You either trust my judgment or you don't, Andross."

Andross spat, "I don't. You're a bastard! A _cold hearted_, bastard."

"You know what? You're dumber than a damn _brick_." Armando shook his head.

"...You're right, I am." Andross said, his expression unreadable.

Armando was dumbfounded, but was clear not to show it. _What the hell did he just say?_

"I thought this-" Andross pointed to both of them, "Mattered to you."

"_Andross-_" Armando began, but was cut short.

"You're absolutely right; I'm stupid as a fucking wall. Thank you for setting me straight. I won't make that mistake again." He whirled around, and started to head back towards GV2 territory.

Armando did a facepaw. _Oh for the love of god. _He ran to catch up with Andross, "This isn't about us! It's about _Kajuking_!"

Andross whipped around to face him, "It's always been about us, Armando. And if you didn't know that, I guess you're stupider than I am."

Armando stood, and watched as Andross basically sprinted back to his home. _This.. has been a fucking disaster. _He knew he couldn't face his members any more tonight, and started for the CCG lodging house.


	12. Not Your Choice To Make

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Twelve: Not Your Choice To Make**

August 13th, 2004

_Why am I doing this again? It wasn't my damn fault! Kajuking just ..._Hell, Armando couldn't remember what had gone through all of their heads on that April day. All he knew was he hadn't seen Andross _or _Kajuking since. Little Fancy had told him Andross was doing fine, but just wasn't "up to gambling" anymore. _Some coincidence. We all know he's avoiding me, and don't worry, I think I can handle that. _Which was clearly untrue, because Armando was on his way to visit them. _I don't feel bad, still. _Armando was having a battle with himself on the inside, because he was too arrogant to apologize for something that hadn't been his problem to begin with. _Andross is way too sensitive; A fool could see that he's overreacting. _The only reason he was going to do this is because he _needed _to make things right before they progressively got worse. And it was obvious they would, if he didn't take action soon. It seemed like the two hadn't spoken a word to each other in years, and who knew what Andross was up to now days. _Looks like I'm going to find out soon. _Being a leader had it's challenges, and Armando was exactly great at solving conflicts. Like this one. Andross hadn't budged a bit; No one would even give much detail about him during a casual conversation. _Someone tell me what's up with that? Is it all confidential just because we had a fight? Bullshit. There has to be another reason why they won't say a single word to me besides a pathetic "He's fine"._

Armando kept walking, the moon was beginning to light his path, which was nice. _Even though I know the path by heart. _There was a sweet smell lingering in the air, and a slight breeze to carry it. Armando loved the smell of rain, and he shuddered deliciously as it crept through his body. He had planned on going to visit Andross for the passed week, but never had gotten the chance to until this evening. Every day had been hectic; Leadership was tough, but it wasn't too horrible once you got the hang of it. _AJ made it look so easy. _He had what he was going to say to Andross prepared also. _I will just say I was wrong. That's all. And I forgive him completely for questioning my motives. That's all there is to it.._

Armando finally arrived at the front of Sandy's restaurant, Sandman's Sandwiches. He had been here many times in the past, and thought of it as a second home, _almost. _He walked inside, and got the usual chorus of greetings, but something was definitely wrong with the expression Little Fancy and her staff members shared. _Guess I was given the honor to find out what the hell is going on. _

"Hey," He greeted, trying to sound pleasant.

Little Fancy's face remained the same, "What can we do for you, Armando?" She asked, but a hint of bitterness was thrown in her sentence.

Armando looked around the shop, "Is Andross here?" _Can't you see I'm trying my best to put on a cheery face? ...Just tell me where the hell he is already. _

"Don't think he's expecting you," Zany cut in, glaring. Armando was getting impatient, but carefully not showing it.

Armando decided to screw it, and glare back. He snarled, "Well, I'm sorry I couldn't find my engraved announcements."

"Is that so?" Zany challenged, but Little Fancy elbowed her sharply.

Little Fancy mouthed 'sorry', "He's in the lodging house."

"Thanks," Armando shrugged, and began to walk towards the GV2 lodging house.

They had claimed to make some major repairs to it, after getting over the scrap with Union. To all of their surprise, Union had even helped make the fixes. _Wow, they really did make changes. _Armando found himself staring up at the repaired lodging house. It looked a lot... neater. The windows had been redone, the whole thing was cleaned on the outside, and they had fixed the door. _It looks great._

He let himself in, but took in a sharp breath when he caught sight of Andross, Kajuking, and some monkey he'd never met. Kajuking and his eyes met, and he nodded slightly. _No nasty remark? Nothing? _

"Andross?" Armando asked, hesitant.

Andross spun himself around carefully, and his expression changed dramatically. From cheerful, to frowning. He let out a small sigh, "What are you doing here?"

Armando noticed Kajuking and the yellow monkey were staring, "Come with me." He said through gritted teeth, and pulled Andross up onto the roof. He often sat up here when he was just a member of CCG, and not the leader. It was an excellent thinking spot, but now, he wondered, will it seem as peaceful?

"I asked why the hell you were here." Andross growled.

Armando coolly replied, "I think it's time that we clear some things up."

Andross' eyes flashed with anger, "Last time we talked, you made it perfectly _clear _where we stood."

"I'm sorry," Armando admitted, "I was wrong. You were only questioning my motives.. and-"

He was cut off by Andross, "I think you should go."

"What?" Armando was absolutely baffled, "I told you I was sorry. What more can I do?"

"_Leave,_" He growled back, staring at Armando, "I want nothing to do with you."

_Son of a bitch. What has gotten into him? This was not how things were supposed to go,_ Armando thought frantically, "You can't mean that." He said it as a challenge, almost daring Andross to say he did mean it after all.

Andross walked over to the railing, then sighed, "Why won't you go?"

"You can't be serious, Andross," Armando ignored what Andross had asked, "I mean, it's funny.. You almost had me going there." He emitted a small laugh, forcing it.

"I'm not laughing," Andross pointed out weakly, "And yeah, I'm serious."

Armando quit laughing immediately, and his jaw tightened, "Over a damn fight?"

Andross looked back at him, and leaned against the railing, "No.. not just the fight, though, I'll admit you said some things I didn't like. But I thought about it for a while ...and maybe we _are _better off apart."

"Bullshit!" Armando yelled, "You listen to me Andross, a fight-"

Andross cut him off again, "No, you listen to me for once. This will not work out, Armando. No matter how much we try. You used to have a heart, and I don't know what the hell happened to it. Now, all I see in you is..." He trailed off, "Goddammit, I don't know what I saw in you to begin with."

Armando gaped, but quickly regained his composure, "There's something you're not telling me." He growled. _I know something's wrong here.. what would he try to hide from me? Why would he try to hide it? Did all of this really mean nothing to him?_

Andross sighed, and glanced downward, "Look, I think it's better if you go."

_Ah. So there was something, and that "something" Andross was trying to hide hit him like a bullet. _"You found someone else." He stated, emotionless.

"I-" Andross started.

"It's Kajuking, I bet." Armando snarled, knowing this would always get to be a problem.

"No!" Andross yelled, "It's not Kajuking. And I hate how you think he's the root of everything. He's _not_!"

This took Armando by surprise, he hadn't expected Andross would love anyone other than his precious Kajuking. Now the mystery still remained.. _who _was it? As if to answer his question immediately, the yellow monkey appeared at the top of the stairs, connecting to the roof.

"Hi, Andross," He smiled. _Andross had replaced him already?_

Andross greeted him, "Hi George," A gooey look settled on his face, then he politely turned to Armando, "Armando, this is George. He's my boyfriend."

Armando snorted, and mumbled, "Way to pick 'em."

"I was getting worried about you up here," George continued to smile, his expression matching Andross', "Are you coming back down soon? The rest are back from Sandy's."

"Definitely," Andross grinned, "Just give me a few more minutes."

Once George had headed back down to the main level, Andross' expression returned to the stony glare, "Was there anything else you-?" He stopped short when Armando's fist collided with his jaw. "You bastard!"

"Drop it, Andross," He smirked, and started to walk away. _There. Done. Now I will keep my dignity and just go home. Fuck you, Andross._ But inside, he knew full well that Andross wouldn't just "drop it", after he had landed a fairly good blow.

Armando stumbled slightly as he was punched in the back, by none other than Andross. He spun around and ducked a blow that Andross had aimed at his face. _Nice try. I see you've forgotten how well this dog can fight. _He bit his lip as he aimed a successful jab at Andross' side. _Yes, this is how it should end. In fists and blood. Not some stupid conversation where I'm begging him to stay. _He pinned Andross' shoulders to a nearby building and fired a punch at his cheek. With a grin of satisfaction, he realized he had Andross trapped. Armando began throwing blows as hard and fast as he could. _Hurt like I do. _He thought, blinking back tears that had nothing to do with the fight.

SWITCHING POV -

Andross stopped trying to fight back, as he let himself go limp, and focused on breathing. _This is what I'll have to do if I plan on surviving. _With a start, almost as painful as the fight, he realized Armando was crying. _Did I do any harm to him that could have made him cry..? _But then remembered.. _Yes. I did do something. Emotionally damaging.. not physically. _And deep inside, Andross knew that was far more painful.

He knew had handled things badly with Armando, and would take it all back if he could. _I wish I would have done so much differently, but it's too late now. _He shut his eyes, feeling numbness creep over him.

Soon enough, the punching ceased completely. Little Fancy, Spotty Picklecrash, and Giggletoes were holding a squirming and kicking Armando tightly, not ready to let him go by any means. He noticed Debbie Doughnut was nearby, in case he somehow managed to get away.

Pepito rushed over to him, "Andross, are you okay?" _Hell no._ He wanted to say. _Didn't you see I was trapped against a wall getting the shit beaten out of me?_

Instead, he offered a small, "Yeah." _I'm sorry Armando. I didn't mean for it to hurt this badly. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have said a thing. _Andross wanted to say those things out loud, but he couldnt bring himself to do it. Not after what had happened.

"Fuck you, Andross!" Armando screamed, still kicking at whoever came near. Little Fancy was trying her hardest to keep a hold of him.

Andross just hung his head and continued to listen.

"Let go of me!" He yelled.

Little Fancy replied, "No way." And held her grip.

To his own shock, he heard himself say, "Let him go." Andross knew Armando well enough that he wouldn't start the fight over.. He knew it was emotional pain from here on out. _Please just go. _Andross begged silently.

Armando's bloodshot eyes pierced into his own, "Don't forget what I said, Andross."

"I'm not likely to forget," He sighed, "You damn well beat it into me."

"Always got to be funny," Armando let out a bitter laugh, "So we really won't be getting back together?"

Andross gave up, "Just go." He wasn't going to answer Armando's question. In fact, he was planning to avoid it completely, because if he was forced to give a response, it would have been 'Bum Odds'.

Andross turned away from everyone at that point, claiming he wanted to be alone. When, in fact, the truth was, he didn't want them to catch the hint of sympathy for Armando that his golden eyes showed.

-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: Finally done with chapter twelve. Thanks for reading; Reviews are love.**


	13. Nothing To Get Worked Up Over

**Bum Odds**

**Armando and his relationship with Andross over the years.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Nothing To Get Worked Up Over**

February 27th, 2006

Andross didn't want to believe what Little Fancy told him. She had begged him earlier to go to CCG territory for her and try to persuade Armando to help them out. _And she's just using me.. _He thought halfheartedly. _Now it's all of a sudden my turn to try to get him to help us because she was turned down. _Andross knew in his heart that Armando didn't budge easily when it came to decision making, but they really needed CCG's support in this. Toon Union had been stealing their members since November, and it was impacting them greatly. _I hope you're right, Fancy. _He was pulling on his formal purple vest while thinking through this in his head. _I can try to make a good appearance. _Andross was the Guild v2's representative now, so he _had _to look good.

As he walked, trying to act casual, out of the lodging house, he started towards CCG. Armando's words hit him, _You are not welcome here. _Is what he had said to Andross last time he had visited, but apparently it was okay this time. _According to Little Fancy. I guess my life is less important than getting help from CCG. _He trudged on, regretting each step more and more. His pace was slowed, until it was a little more than a crawling speed. _I need more time to think about what I'm going to say. _Andross thought frantically, hoping to come up with a few scratch starter sentences that he could use. _I'll have to soften him up somehow. _

Andross looked down at the snow-covered ground, as he approached the CCG lodging house. _Even at a snail's pace, I couldn't keep away. Who knows why he banned me from CCG land in the first place.. there's nothing to come here for. _He bit his lip as he thought about the gambling, _Except the gambling, maybe._

He knocked on the door gently, praying that no one would answer and he could go home. _I'll tell Little Fancy no one was here. That's what I'll do. I can get myself out of this somehow. _His thoughts were demolished when Dark Cloud stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, not looking too pleased by his presence.

"Can I help you?" She nearly spat out.

"I-" Andross sighed, _How the hell can I do this? _"I'm here to see ..Armando."

Dark Cloud flattened her ears, "He doesn't want visitors."

"Please, let me speak to him," Andross requested again.

Dark Cloud narrowed her eyes, testing him, "Come with me." She led him up rickety stairs, and there were many doors at the top of the staircase. She stopped abruptly in front of one. "In here." Then a little louder, called, "Armando, you have a guest."

Andross heard a muffled reply, "Let them in."

Andross turned the knob and went inside. Armando was sitting in a chair, elbows on a desk, looking out the window.

"Andross," He murmured, barely audible, "What do you want?"

"To talk," Andross knew very well that if he had been blatantly honest and said 'We need your help' he would have been booted out. _Fancy told me not to do that.. anyway._

Armando groaned, "I asked _what do you want_?" He stood up to face Andross.

"I was just wanting to talk. You know, about ..Hell, who knows. Anything."

Armando raised an eyebrow, "Alright. So what are you up to now days?"

"I.. I'm the GV2 representative.. but on a side line, I've been selling gags to others." _Since I can't gamble, _He added to himself, but then gave up, "Listen, you know why I'm here. So let me say it and then you can kick me out."

Armando nodded, signaling that he could go on.

"Toon Union has been stealing our members and we need help from CCG. We, the GV2, thinks that you can scare them into stopping."

Armando looked thoughtful for a split second, and then returned to being expressionless, "You know I don't let my personal life get in the way of business, Andross. I never will, either. This answer has absolutely nothing to do with what went down between us, nor does it have anything to do with Little Fancy visiting me earlier. I told her the same thing I'm about to tell you. I won't risk my members on account of something the GV2 is having an issue with. They have always been able to handle their problems before, and I think they can do it again. _But _if you can explain to me why this is my concern, I will help you. If not, you're done, and I will expect you to leave."

Andross made up something quickly, a small thought that he had no idea if it made sense, but he hoped it did, "Because if they succeed in getting all of our members, they will be very powerful. More powerful than CCG.. if we don't stop them, they could easily turn to CCG and start stealing your members."

Armando studied him, "I still haven't heard anything that will change my mind."

"Yeah, well I thought that would be the case, so I have a little something that might."

He glared, "Are you trying to bribe m-"

Armando was cut short when Andross' hands fisted tight on Armando's shirt, pulling him forward. He then pressed a tight kiss to Armando's mouth, ignoring the squeak of protest that came from him.

He felt the other boy relax slightly, and pull Andross closer to him. Armando emitted a quiet moan, and traced a line on Andross' lips with his tongue.

And just like that, all the fights they had fell away. All the times Armando had acted like Andross was nothing, all the times Andross got upset. Everything.

Armando broke the kiss, yanking back harshly, "What the hell was that, Andross?" He demanded.

"A kiss," Andross supplied weakly.

Armando looked him up and down, "Looks like you're selling more than gags these days."

"The hell I am! I'm not a whore," He protested, "That was nothing to get worked up over."

**- SWITCHING POV -**

"Nothing to get worked up over?" Armando growled. _Andross has lost his fucking mind! _

Andross appeared to be _scared_, "It was only an offer."

_Ha. What a joke.. Did he think for one second that I'd give into bribery? ..To hell with this. _Armando wanted this to be over with, _now. _"Alright, I'm in. But it's not because of anything you did, it's because I fear for my own members. And you, will not be paying me for it."

Andross nodded, "Sure-"

He was cut off by Armando, "We are going to pretend like nothing ever happened between us. That way, when you see George, you won't be ashamed to look in his eyes."

"George.." Andross breathed.

Armando said dully, "Yeah, him." He felt the bitterness and jealous spear through his veins as he remembered the day they had met. _It was all a mistake. _He painfully thought.

"I.. He's not with me anymore," Andross confessed, still looking down at the floor, his eyes looking tortured.

Armando glanced up, confused, "Anymore? What happened?" Armando immediately felt hate and guilt for himself. _I shouldn't have asked. Hell, I'm not even interested._

"I loved him," Andross sounded pained, "But he.. George had a better lifestyle than we do. He had jellybeans to spend, places to go, _family. _He ran off."

Armando still felt guilty for asking, though he told himself he shouldn't. "The past is better left there. _But in every good life, there's place for bad memories._" He recited the quote from his mind.

"So, you'll be there for us, right?" Andross sounded hopeful, and attempted changing the subject.

Armando grinned slightly, "Yep."

"I look forward to it," Andross flashed a grin back, as he headed for the door.

Armando smiled as he left. _Andross? Running away with George? _He felt lucky now, lucky that it hadn't happened. _This time, I won't let it end badly. And I'll be damned if I let him slip through my fingers again._

-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: THE END! :) Tell me what you think. As always, I credit my beta, Armando, for reading this whole thing and giving me spectacular feedback. Thanks to Luke and Armando for your toons, guys. Not many people let me make a fanfic about their toon being gay. Lots of credit to you both~ Reviews are love, and this story is now complete! :)**


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